Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who chairs the far-right Religious Zionism party, on Monday announced a joint run as a technical bloc for the upcoming elections with the Zehut party, led by Moshe Feiglin.
The move came amid pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to unite smaller right-wing parties to prevent votes from being lost should one or more of them fail to cross the electoral threshold. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has refused to run his Otzma Yehudit party together with Smotrich again, as has newcomer Ofer Winter and his new People of Israel party.
“The time for responsibility has come,” Smotrich said in a post announcing the move and urging other parties to join them.
“I call from here to all parties in the National Bloc: Take responsibility and join us. I will ensure that no voice on the right is lost,” he said.
Smotrich warned that the achievements of the outgoing government are at stake if it loses the election.
